Basigi takes charge of Tanzania’s Simba Queens

Tanzanian women’s football champions, Simba Queens, have unveiled Ghana’s Yussif Basigi, as their new head coach in a one-year deal.

In an official post on their X (formerly Twitter) account, the club welcomed the highly regarded Basigi as he embarks on a new chapter in East Africa. His appointment comes after parting ways with Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies, where he had a successful career in the Ghana Women’s Premier League.

At 52, Basigi brings a wealth of experience to Simba Queens, as they seek to maintain their domestic supremacy and challenge for continental honours.

The Daily Graphic understands that the Tanzanian club had been courting the coach for two years, but he had previously turned down their advances in favour of helping Hasaacas Ladies regain the Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League title from Ampem Darkoa Ladies.

Speaking from his base in Dar es Salaam, Basigi explained that the persistent interest from Simba Queens, coupled with a desire for a fresh challenge, convinced him to take the leap.

“The pressure from the Tanzanians was intense, and I felt the time was right for a new adventure in women’s football,” he said in an interview with the Daily Graphic. “It’s not every day a club from another country shows such interest in a coach. For two years, they’ve been knocking, but my commitment to Hasaacas and Ghana always made me decline.”

Basigi revealed that Simba’s latest approach came shortly after his return from Colombia, where his Ghana’s under-20 women’s team, Black Princesses, failed to progress beyond the group stage of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. “After careful thought, I decided to give it a try and have arrived in Dar es Salaam to begin this new phase of my coaching career,” he confirmed.

Immediate challenge

Basigi’s immediate task is to mould a formidable squad from the current roster at Simba Queens and steer them towards success, not just in the domestic league but also on the continental stage.

The Ghanaian tactician leaves behind an impressive legacy at Hasaacas Ladies, a club he has managed since its inception in 2003.

Under his leadership, Hasaacas became a powerhouse in Ghanaian women’s football, winning five Women’s Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and the First Lady’s Cup.

On the international scene, Basigi guided the club to the final of the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League in 2021, winning the WAFU Zone B tournament before finishing runners-up to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.

Despite his best efforts, however, Basigi was unable to lead Hasaacas to a second CAF Women’s Champions League appearance after the team fell short in the WAFU qualifiers.

In addition to his club success, Basigi has also made a mark on the international stage. As an educationist by profession, he has held various roles with Ghana’s national women’s teams, including the Black Queens and Black Princesses.

He is notably the first coach to guide Ghana’s to gold at the African Games, leading the Black Queens to victory in 2005 in Brazzaville and the Black Princesses to triumph at the 2023 Games in Accra.

Basigi also coached the Black Queens to a bronze medal at the 2006 Women’s African Cup of Nations and led the Princesses to a gold medal in the inaugural WAFU Zone B U-20 tournament in 2023.

Simba on the rise

Simba Queens, the women’s football team affiliated with Tanzanian giants Simba S.C., are based in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam. They have been a dominant force in Tanzania’s Women’s Premier League, consistently competing in the CECAFA Women’s Champions League since its inception in 2021.

In 2022, Simba Queens won the CECAFA tournament, earning qualification for that year’s CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco. Although they made it to the semi-finals, their campaign ended in disappointment, losing to Moroccan club, AS FAR.